Pearl shows off his guns… and I love it
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by user Bobbyjim45
Bruce Pearl proved why there is nobody like him in college sports (hopefully he doesn’t show us too much more than that, though). For those who haven’t watched ESPN at any point in the day, Pearl attended the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball game in the student cheering section with his chest painted orange and a nice old “V” on there to show his support for the women’s basketball team and his great school spirit in general.
He’s been bashed a little for these actions and has been called an unprofessional fool among other things, but really, what better way to connect with your school and its students than to get down there and act like one of them?
I think this is a great thing for college sports. Pearl, like every other coach (believe it or not), is a human, and he merely showed it Monday night. He takes pride in his school and his job and that should be viewed as a major positive.
Sure, some will make the point that he was going too far out there, but ultimately, that’s the best way to get through to young kids. Most college students don’t want to be taught and guided by their father’s style of coach. They don’t want the guy who’s unapproachable and doesn’t understand the way they tick.
It is also being said that what Pearl did was unprofessional and disrespectful to the women’s team and that it was a distraction, but what many are missing is that Pearl left the arena after about the first five minutes of the game, for just that reason; he didn’t want to be a distraction.
This is an incredible way to gain an edge in recruiting, and you can’t tell me Pearl didn’t agree to this without that exact thought in his mind. Kids will want to come play for the guy who’s willing to go out on a limb for his students to connect with them. I think it’s time college coaches get more involved with the schools that are employing them rather than just be figure heads to represent the teams. It will give the coaches advantages in getting the star high school kid to come his way, and it will lead the coaches who do it to better, higher paying jobs.
Let’s just hope Charlie Weis doesn’t get any ideas…
